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From applying Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed to the recent protests happening in Ecuador, we can take away some key lessons from these events. Collectively, the power of CONAIE as a whole has achieved a great enough power to warrant a government response and to break the barrier of silence around the country continuing to exploit Indigenous lands for resource extraction if left unchecked. This was successful due to the collective praxis of the thousands of Ecuadorians who participated in these mass protests and educated themselves on the issue of environmental exploitation and Indigenous ethnocide at the hands of Lasso’s government. They were able to work together to create economic pressure from decreased oil output in Ecuador in order to engage politicians in a dialogue with them and change their exploitative policies.
“We take that position based on reality, most of our families live in poverty and extreme poverty, and that logically leads to a political project, and the intention is to transform that reality.”
-Leonidas Iza, Indigenous leader of CONAIE
Collective praxis has an unparalleled power to create social progress despite the work of people and systems in power to suppress the voices of the oppressed. It shows the discontent of the masses with how systems are currently being run, and makes their perspectives heard on a larger scale. If we understand the tools at our disposal to open dialogue amongst opposing groups, and to work towards counterhegemonic change through a constant engagement of critical reflection and action, then we will continue to take steps towards liberation within the social, political, environmental, and economic spheres.
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